​From award-winning author Carrie Stuart Parks comes a new novel with danger that ​reaches from a New Mexico Anasazi archaeological dig to micro- and nano-chip technology.

​Evelyn Yvonne McTavish-Tavish to her friends-had her almost perfect world in Albuquerque, New Mexico, come to a crashing end with the suicide of her fiancé. As she struggles to put her life back together and make a living from her art, she’s given the news that her dog is about to be destroyed at the dog pound. Except she doesn’t own a dog. The shelter is adamant that the microchip embedded in the canine-with her name and address-makes it hers.

Tavish recognizes the dog as one owned by an archaeologist named Pat Caron because she did a commissioned drawing of the two of them months earlier. The simple solution is to return the dog to his owner, but she arrives only to discover Caron’s murdered body.​After meeting undercover FBI agent Sawyer Price the mystery deepens as more people start disappearing and Tavish becomes a target as well. Her only solution is to find the links between microchip technology, an Anasazi site in the desert, her fiancé’s death, a late-night radio show, and the dog. And the clock is ticking.

Carrie Stuart Parks is definitely one of my go-to, must-read, favorite authors. All I have to do is see her name on the cover and I know I am going to seriously love the book. Her brand of suspense/thriller, sometimes with a dash of romance, is right up my alley. And I simply love her no nonsense writing style.

Needless to say, I've been pretty excited about reading Fragments Of Fear since I first heard about it several months ago. And, oh, I was so NOT disappointed! It was everything I had hoped for and more! Sorry, but I just had to gush a little there. I wasn't kidding when I said that she is one of my favorite authors.

Anyway... Fragments Of Fear was an excellent read. It's a taut psychological thriller slash romantic suspense novel and I was totally engrossed in the story right from the start. One of the things that Carrie Stuart Parks does well, aside from painting vivid mental images of the characters and settings, would be the psychological element. Seriously, you feel every bit of Tavish's emotional roller coaster as she seeks the truth, and a little justice, while being gaslighted and terrorized by some very nasty bad guys.

Carrie Stuart Parks brings the New Mexico landscape alive, from the elegant art world to a dusty archaeological dig, in Fragments Of Fear. It's a story that I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

More from Carrie

Using Art to Solve Crime: Techniques Used by Forensic Artists

​Since 1981, I’ve been a forensic artist—an amazing feat since I’m only . . .um. . . well, younger than that. In those years, I’ve seen some shifts and trends, but some things have never changed. Despite the overwhelming prevalence of computers in almost every other field, they have never been able to replace a trained forensic artist. Artists have an amazing toolbox of techniques we use to gather the information we need to help solve crime.

The pencil. Any forensic artist worth her weight in graphite knows the power of the lowly pencil and a sketchpad. Law enforcement would love a photographic image of the suspect, but all we have to work with is memory…and memory is faulty. The more the image looks perfect, the more imperfect it is for helping to identify a suspect. We want the drawing to just suggest a likeness and eliminate those not similar.

Now that we brought up the subject of memory, a forensic artist needs to understand how memory works. The average witness will remember between four and five facial features. When they describe the person they saw, they will do so from their strongest memory to their weakest memory, from most important to least important. We listen carefully to the order of facial features.

Whole vs Parts. We don’t look at faces as individual parts, although a particularly outstanding nose or Marty Feldman eyes might catch our attention. We will remember the face as a whole, with the proportions of the face an unacknowledged part of that. Forensic artist prefer to use reference photographs where the whole face is viewed.

​Carrie Stuart Parks is a Christy finalist as well as a Carol Award-winning author. She has won numerous awards for her fine art as well. An internationally known forensic artist, she travels with her husband, Rick, across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law-enforcement professionals. The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.

​It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away a grand prize of her book!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

Formula Of Deceptionby Carrie Stuart Parks

-From Goodreads-

​From Christy and Carol award-winning author Carrie Stuart Parks comes the thrilling tale of an artist who uncovers one of World War II’s most dangerous secrets—a secret that desperate men will do anything to keep hidden . . . or steal.

​When her twin sister was murdered, Murphy Anderson changed her name and appearance and moved to Kodiak to avoid the press and publicity. But when local authorities discover she’s an artist and request her help in drawing a dying man’s memories, she unintentionally ends up in the limelight again—and may be back in the killer’s crosshairs.

The memory that Murphy was asked to draw was from an Alaskan hunter who discovered five bodies on remote Ruuwaq Island ten years ago, but has only shared the information with the police now that he’s dying of cancer. When they go to the island to investigate, no skeletons remain but there is evidence that the bodies may have been deliberately destroyed. But the big discovery is of a World War II Quonset hut.​As one by one the people who were at the hut die, Murphy knows there is something much deeper at stake. What happened there during WWII? And who is willing to kill to keep those secrets buried?

​As soon as I saw that Carrie Stuart Parks had a new book coming out I knew that it would be a must-read for me, I didn't even read the blurb to find out what it was about until I already had a copy on my Kindle. When Formula Of Deception arrived on my Kindle I couldn't resist, it was futile, despite a number of books being higher on my TBR pile, I just couldn't help myself, I HAD to read this book right NOW.

Formula Of Deception was everything I could have hope for and more, lots more. I loved it!!! Carrie Stuart Parks' no-nonsense, straightforward, rather blunt, writing style captured me from the first book of hers that I read and each succeeding title only furthers my appreciation of her talents.

Formula Of Deception was delightfully chilling, spine-tingling, and even a little eerie in places. Merging a seventy year old mystery, terrifying secrets, and some modern people that will stop at nothing to get what they want, Carrie Stuart Parks takes her readers on a wild ride they won't soon forget.

I just couldn't seem to turn the pages fast enough with this book and now I am left, waiting, desperately waiting, for the next book from this author...

So, I guess Goodreads made a little boo-boo with release dates and the newest one that I've read actually hasn't released yet! I did go back and correct it in my previous 2018 Goodreads Challenge blog post. In case you don't want to go back to it and look, here is the true Newest Book.

So, I completed my Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge today! Well, looking at the clock it was more like yesterday, but... I wound up finishing a fraction over 3 weeks earlier this year than last year. Not too bad, considering how busy I've been!

I am by no means done with reading for this year, couldn't stop even if I wanted to, which I don't, so check back at the end of the year to see my total stats for 2018 and whether I break last year's record of 153 total books logged into my Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Portrait Of VengeanceA Gwen Marcey Novel book 4by Carrie Stuart Parks

​-From Amazon-

An unsolved case. A tempest of memories. The future’s at stake—and time is running out . . .

​Gwen Marcey has done a good job keeping the pain of her past boxed up. But as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho, details keep surfacing that are eerily similar to her childhood traumas. She doesn’t believe in coincidences. So what’s going on here?

​No one knows more about the impact of the past than the Nez Perce people of Lapwai. Gwen finds herself an unwelcome visitor to some, making her investigation even more difficult. The questions keep piling up, but answers are slow in coming—and the clock is ticking for a missing little girl. Meanwhile, Gwen’s ex-husband is threatening to take sole custody of their daughter.

​As Gwen’s past and present collide, she’s in a desperate race for the truth. Because only truth will ensure she still has a future.

​I honestly can't remember the last time this happened to me. I've stayed up late to finish a book or read that 'just one more chapter' thing that we all know actually means several. But this is the first time in ages that I started reading a 290+ page book late at night and finished it only four hours later in the early AM. Yeah, Portrait Of Vengeance was THAT good! I could not put it down, no matter how tired I got, or how droopy my eyes, I just couldn't stop reading. There were so many twists and turns, though I did guess the killer's identity, that it was impossible to not turn the next page, and the next...

So far I've only read book three, and now book four, in the Gwen Marcey series but I am hooked! A little grittier than a lot of suspense/romantic suspense but I think that's one of the things I really like about this series and this author. She is blunt but not crass, and that makes for some delightfully chilling reading.

Carrie Stuart Parks is an author with some serious talent. Her descriptions drop you right into the moment, you feel like you are seeing the action play out right before your eyes instead of on the printed page. I also love the authenticity lent to this series by the author's real-life occupation as a forensic artist.

I loved Portrait Of Vengeance, it's on my list of top suspense books read in this year, and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Author

Reading and history have been my passion since early childhood when my parents encouraged both. I was introduced to Christian fiction around age 4-5 while listening to radio drama adaptations of books by great authors including Janette Oke. I have been a voracious reader and avid library patron ever since. I started Tell Tale Book Reviews in December 2012. I am also an active volunteer in the areas I hold most dear, library, museum, and pets. Hobbies include a small bead jewelry business, watching classic movies/ TV, listening to Irish/Celtic music, and autograph collecting.

TELL2008-2017Born in October, he was a purebred Alaskan Malamute. His red fur and sparkling green eyes highlighted his happy and loving personality. He loved walks, hugs, sneaking human food treats, and Milk Bones.

Your blog is one of the most professional that I've seen. Thanks so much for hosting me! DiAnn Mills - Author

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I've been on your site and reading your reviews. Good stuff there. Shelley Hitz - Author

It is always refreshing to visit your blog and we really appreciate the thought you put into everything. I’m looking forward to your future reviews. Bethany House Staff Member

Jasmine, what a lovely surprise to read your review. I'm so pleased that you like The Chamomile. And five barks - I'm smiling. Susan F. Craft - Author